Hanger for mounting cables

ABSTRACT

A cable hanger includes: a generally flat base; and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base; wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms; wherein each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section; wherein the arms form a gap configured to receive and grasp a cable; and wherein the cable hanger is a unitary member formed of a polymeric material.

The present application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/375,213, filed Aug. 15, 2016; 62/444,409, filed Jan. 10, 2017; and 62/483,997, filed Apr. 11, 2017, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to devices for supporting cables and, in particular, to hangers for securing cables to support structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cable hangers are commonly used to secure cables to structural members of antenna towers and or along tunnel walls. Generally, each cable is attached to a structural member by cable hangers mounted at periodically-spaced attachment points.

Antenna towers and or tunnels may be crowded due to the large numbers of cables required for signal-carrying. Over time, as systems are added, upgraded and/or expanded, installation of additional cables may be required. To conserve space, it may be desirable for each set of cable hangers to secure more than a single cable. Certain cable hangers have been constructed to secure multiple cables; other cable hangers have a stackable construction that permits multiple cable hangers to be interlocked extending outwardly from each mounting point/structural member. Stacked and multiple-cable hangers significantly increase the number of cables mountable to a single attachment point.

One popular stackable cable hanger is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,836 to Korczak, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Hangers disclosed therein have generally a U- or C-shaped profile with rounded arms. A locking projection extends from the free end of each arm, and the “root” of the hanger that spans the fixed ends of the arms has a large aperture. The hanger can hold a cable between the arms; gripping of the cable is enhanced by short fingers that extend inwardly from the arms to engage the cable. Hangers can be “stacked” onto each other by inserting the locking projections of one hanger into the large aperture of the next hanger.

One variety of cable hanger of this type is the SNAP-STAK® hanger, available from CommScope, Inc. (Joliet, Ill.). The SNAP-STAK® hanger is offered in multiple sizes that correspond to the outer diameters of different cables. This arrangement has been suitable for use with coaxial power cables, which tend to be manufactured in only a few different outer diameters. Modified versions of these hangers are discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/081,177, filed Mar. 25, 2016 (and hereby incorporated herein by reference); these arrangements may be more desirable for fiber optic cables, which tend to be manufactured in a much greater variety of diameters, and which tend to be much heavier than coaxial cables (sometimes as much as three times heavier per unit foot), which induces greater load and stress on the hangers.

It may be desirable to provide additional cable hanger designs, particularly for different cable sizes.

SUMMARY

As a first aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cable hanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base. Hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms. Each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section. The arms form a gap configured to receive and grasp a cable. The cable hanger is a unitary member formed of a polymeric material.

As a second aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cable hanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base; wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms. Each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section. The base includes two arcuate slots, each of the slots adjacent a fixed end of a respective first or second arm.

As a third aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cable hanger, comprising a generally flat base and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base, wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms. Stops are located on each of the first and second arms and extend generally perpendicularly to the arms, and a brace extends between the base and each of the stops. The cable hanger is a unitary component formed of a polymeric material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art cable hanger.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the prior art cable hanger of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a cable hanger according to embodiments of the invention mounted onto a prior art cable as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the cable hanger of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a cable hanger according to alternative embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the cable hanger of FIG. 5 holding a cable.

FIG. 7 is an end view of a cable hanger according to additional embodiments of the invention, wherein the cable hanger is holding a cable.

FIG. 8 is a partial top view of the cable hanger of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a partial top view of a cable hanger according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a cable hanger according to additional embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11 is an end view of the cable hanger of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a top section view of the cable hanger of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an opposite end view of the cable hanger of FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is a top view of the cable hanger of FIG. 10 shown in an open hinged position.

FIGS. 15A-15C are top views showing the clamping and mounting of a cable with the cable hanger of FIG. 10.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a cable hanger according to additional embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the cable hanger of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a cable hanger according to further embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 19 is a side section view of the cable hanger of FIG. 19.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the cable hanger of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a front view of the cable hanger of FIG. 19.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a cable hanger according to further embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 23 is an opposite perspective view of the cable hanger of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a side view of the cable hanger of FIG. 22.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments that are pictured and described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It will also be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any way and/or combination to provide many additional embodiments.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms that are used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the below description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in this disclosure, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when an element (e.g., a device, circuit, etc.) is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

Referring now to the figures, a prior art cable hanger, designated broadly at 10, is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The hanger 10 includes curved arms 5 that extend from a flat base 6. Locking projections 7 extend from the free ends of the arms 5. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the locking projections 7 are inserted into a reinforced hole 8 in a tower structure 4 to mount the hanger 10 thereon. The base 6 of the hanger 10 includes a reinforced hole 9 that can receive the projections of another hanger 10 to mount a second cable.

As can be best seen in FIG. 2, the arms 5 include arcuate sections 14 that together generally define a circle within which a cable can be grasped. Two cantilevered tabs 12 extend radially inwardly and toward the base 6 at one end of the arcuate sections 14, and two cantilevered tabs 16 extend radially inwardly and toward the base 6 from the opposite ends of the arcuate sections 14. The cantilevered tabs 12, 16 are deployed to deflect radially outwardly when the hanger 10 receives a cable for mounting; this deflection generates a radially inward force from each tab 12, 16 that grips the jacket of the cable.

The hanger 10 is popular for the mounting of larger coaxial cables, that tend to be provided in relatively few different sizes, but may be less popular for smaller cables. FIGS. 3 and 4 are illustrate a cable hanger, designated broadly at 110, that may be employed with hangers 10 or by themselves to mount smaller cables. As illustrated, the cable hanger 110 includes a base 106 with two opposed arms 105 extending from the base 106. Each of the arms 105 is arcuate in profile (best seen as arms 205 with respect to cable hanger 210 in FIG. 6). A hook 107 is located at the free end of each arm 105. Each arm 105 also has a radially-outwardly-extending stop 118. A gap 120 is present between the arms 105. Arcuate slots 122 are present in the base adjacent and radially outwardly of the fixed ends of the arms 105.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the cable hanger 110 can be used to mount a cable to a cable hanger 10. A cable 130 is positioned in the gap 120 between the arms 105. The cable hanger 110 is then mounted in the hole 9 of the cable hanger 10 by aligning the arms 105 with the hole 9 and pushing the base 106 toward the cable hanger 10 (not unlike the motion used to insert a thumbtack). This motion deflects the free ends of the arms 105 toward each other to enable the hooks 107 to fit within the hole 9. The cable hanger 110 is pushed in the direction of the cable hanger 10 until the hooks 107 clear the edges of the hole 9, at which point the arms 105 deflect away from each other to secure the cable hanger 110 to the cable hanger 10. The inner edges of the arms 105 grip the cable 130.

As shown in FIG. 3, a second cable hanger 110′ can be employed to mount a cable to the cable hanger 110. The hooks 107′ of the arms 105′ of the second cable hanger 110′ are inserted into the slots 122 in the base 106 of the first cable hanger 110. Additional cable hangers can then be “stacked” onto the second cable hanger 110′.

It should also be apparent to those of skill in this art that the cable hanger 110 can be used to mount a cable directly to a mounting structure such as the tower 4 without an intervening cable hanger 10.

Other embodiments or cable hangers may include structures to enhance insertion and grasping of a cable. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a cable hanger 210 is similar to the cable hanger 110 with the exception that the gap 220 between the arms 205 is wider near the free ends of the arms 205 than at their fixed ends. As a result, a cable 230 can be inserted easily into the wider end 220 a of the gap 220, but is grasped more firmly at the narrow end 220 b of the gap 220.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at 310, is shown therein. The cable hanger 310 is similar to the cable hanger 110 with the exception that two ridges or tabs 324 extend away from the base 306 on opposite sides thereof. The gaps 326 between the ridges 324 are offset slightly from the gap 320 formed by the arms 305. As a result, the cable 330 inserted into the gaps 320, 326 takes a slight diversion from a straight path, which improves the overall grip of the cable 330 by the cable hanger 310. As few as one ridge 324 may be sufficient to bend the cable 330 sufficiently to improve the grip.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a portion of another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at 410, is shown therein. The cable hanger 410 is similar to the cable hanger 110 with the exception that the arms 405 include bent cantilevered tabs 432 that extend into the gap 420. The tabs 432 can deflect relative to and toward the arms 405, which can enable the cable hanger 410 to accommodate a wider variety of cable thicknesses.

Those skilled in this art will appreciate that cable hangers according to embodiments of the invention may combine the above-mentioned features to improve cable grip. For example, a cable hanger may have both ridges as in cable hanger 310 and cantilevered tabs as in cable hanger 410.

Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the cable hangers 110, 210, 310, 410 discussed above are typically formed of a polymeric material, such as acetal resin, and may be formed as a unitary member (often via injection molding). The cable hangers may also be configured to grasp different sizes of cables: for example, one size of hanger may be employed to mount cables having an outer jacket with a 4-7 mm diameter (DOJ), another size of hanger may mount 7-10 mm DOJ cables, and a third size of hanger may mount 10-14 mm DOJ cables.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-13, another cable hanger, designated broadly at 510, is shown therein. The cable hanger 510 shares similarities with the cable hangers 110, 210, but has some exceptions. First, the gap 520 is divided by projections 520 b into a closed-end pocket 520 a and an open-ended channel 520 c. Second, the base 506 is divided into two halves 506 a, 506 b that are attached via a living hinge 506 c that has a pivot axis A. Third, rather than slots similar to slots 122 of the cable hanger 110, the base 506 has a central hole 506 d configured to receive the locking projections 507 of a second cable hanger.

As can be seen in FIG. 14, the halves 506 a, 506 b of the base 506 of the cable hanger 510 can pivot about the pivot axis A defined by the living hinge 506 c. The presence of the living hinge 506 c enables the cable hanger 510 to include the projections 520 b in the gap 520 and be injected molded in a relatively straightforward manner; the reciprocating halves of the mold can be drawn in the directions M, M′ shown in FIG. 14 and form the cable hanger 510 without the need for any “side-action” slides or the like in the mold.

Referring now to FIGS. 15A-15C, use of the cable hanger 510 is shown therein. The cable hanger 510 can be “opened” so that the locking projections 507 are separated. A cable 530 can be inserted into the gap 520. The halves 560 a, 506 b of the cable hanger 510 can be pivoted about the axis A to close the halves 506 a, 506 b and capture the cable 530 in the pocket 520 a. The cable hanger 510 and cable 530 can then be mounted onto a mounting structure, cable hanger or adapter as discussed above.

The cable hanger 510 may be suitable for the mounting of a cable of any size. In some embodiments, the cable hanger 510 may be sized to mount cables having a diameter of between about 7 and 10 mm.

Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 17, another cable hanger according to embodiments of the invention, designated broadly at 610, is shown therein. The cable hanger 610 is similar to the cable hanger 110 described above in that it includes a base 606 and arms 605 with hooks 607 and stops 618. The cable hanger 610 also includes a pocket 620 a to hold a cable similar to the pocket 520 a of cable hanger 510. However, the cable hanger 610 also includes braces 640 that extend between the base 606 and the stops 618 on the arms 605. The braces 640 can provide strength and rigidity to the cable hanger 610 to enable it to remain in position once it has been mounted to capture a cable. In addition, the braces 640 can help the cable hanger 610 to maintain its shape in the event that the cable hanger 610 is formed of a polymeric material (for example, via injection molding). Polymeric components tend to shrink as they cool after molding, which in some instances can cause the component to deform undesirably from its molded shape. The braces 640 can assist in preventing deformation due to shrinkage of the cable hanger 610 as it cools after molding.

Referring now to FIGS. 18-21, another cable hanger according to embodiments of the invention, designated broadly at 710, is shown therein. The cable hanger 710 is similar to the cable hanger 610 in that it that it includes a base 706 and arms 705 with hooks 707 and stops 718. The cable hanger 710 also includes a pocket 720 a to hold a cable similar to the pocket 620 a of cable hanger 610. The base 706 includes two arcuate holes 709 a, 709 b that are configured to receive the hooks 707 of a second cable hanger 710.

The cable hanger 710 also includes a small post 730 that extends from the closed end of the pocket 720 a generally parallel to the arms 705. The post 730 serves to improve the grip of the cable hanger 710 on cables that have a diameter smaller than that of the pocket 720 a. For such cables, the post 730 pokes into the jacket of the cable, thereby pushing it into the projections 720 b that narrow the open end of the pocket 720 a. The post 730 is typically sufficiently slender that, in the event a cable having a diameter slightly less than or equal to the pocket 720 a, the post either fractures or bends out of the way.

Referring now to FIGS. 22-24, another cable hanger according to embodiments of the invention, designated broadly at 810, is shown therein. The cable hanger 810 is similar to the cable hanger 610 described above in that it includes a base 806 and arms 805 with hooks 807 and stops 818. The cable hanger 810 also includes a pocket 820 a to hold a cable similar to the pocket 620 a of cable hanger 610. The cable hanger 810 also includes braces 840 that extend between the base 806 and the stops 818 on the arms 805. The braces 840 are positioned radially outwardly sufficiently to enable the hooks 807 of a second cable hanger 810 to comfortably engage the underside of the base 806. Also, the cable hanger 810 includes a cross-beam 808 that extends across the base 806 to form two holes 809 a, 809 b in the base 806. These holes 809 a, 809 b receive the hooks 807 of a second cable hanger 810.

The cable hanger 810 also includes three posts 830 a, 830 b, 830 c similar to the post 730 of the cable hanger 710. The posts 830 a, 830 c are located on opposite sides of the pocket 820 a and extend generally toward each other, and the post 830 b extends generally parallel to the arms 805 similar to the post 730 of the cable hanger 710.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein. 

That which is claimed is:
 1. A cable hanger, comprising: a generally flat base; and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base; wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms; wherein each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section taken normal to a longitudinal axis of the arm; wherein the arms form a gap configured to receive and grasp a cable; wherein the cable hanger is a unitary member formed of a polymeric material; and wherein the base includes two arcuate slots configured to receive hooks from a second cable hanger.
 2. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, wherein the gap is wider adjacent the free ends of the arms than at fixed ends of the arms.
 3. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the arms includes a cantilevered tab that extends at least partially toward the other arm, the tab being configured to deflect and grasp a cable positioned within the gap.
 4. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one ridge projecting from the base, the ridge positioned to slightly bend a cable, inserted into the gap to improve gripping of the cable by the hanger.
 5. The cable hanger defined in claim 4, wherein the at least one ridge is a pair of ridges that define a gap, and wherein the gap defined by the ridges is axially offset from the gap between the arms.
 6. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second arms and hooks are configured to be inserted into a nominal % inch hole.
 7. The cable hanger defined in claim 1, in combination with a cable grasped by the first and second arms.
 8. A cable hanger, comprising: a generally flat base; and first and second opposed arms extending in a first direction from the base; wherein hooks are positioned on free ends of the arms; wherein each of the free ends of the arms has an arcuate cross-section taken normal to a longitudinal axis of the arm; and wherein the base includes two arcuate slots, each of the slots adjacent a fixed end of a respective first or second arm.
 9. The cable hanger defined in claim 8, wherein the gap is wider adjacent the free ends of the arms than at fixed ends of the arms.
 10. The cable hanger defined in claim 8, wherein at least one of the arms includes a cantilevered tab that extends at least partially toward the other arm, the tab being configured to deflect and grasp a cable positioned within the gap.
 11. The cable hanger defined in claim 8, further comprising at least one ridge projecting from the base, the ridge positioned to slightly bend a cable inserted into the gap to improve gripping of the cable by the hanger.
 12. The cable hanger defined in claim 11, wherein the at least one ridge is a pair of ridges that define a gap, and wherein the gap defined by the ridges is axially offset from the gap between the arms.
 13. The cable hanger defined in claim 8, wherein the first and second arms and hooks are configured to be inserted into a nominal ¾ inch hole.
 14. The cable hanger defined in claim 8, in combination with a cable grasped, by the first, and second arms.
 15. The cable hanger defined in claim 8 in combination with a second cable hanger as defined in claim 8, wherein the hooks of the second cable hanger are inserted into the slots of the first cable hanger.
 16. The cable hanger defined in claim 13 in combination with a second cable hanger having a nominal ¾ hole, with the hooks inserted into the hole of the second cable hanger.
 17. The cable hanger defined in claim 8, wherein the base comprises two halves interconnected by a living hinge.
 18. The cable hanger defined in claim 17, wherein the gap defined by the arms is divided by projections on the arms into a closed-ended pocket and an open-ended channel.
 19. The cable hanger defined in claim 8, further comprising stops on each of the first and second arms.
 20. The cable hanger defined claim 19, wherein a brace extends between the base and each of the stops.
 21. The cable hanger defined in claim 8, wherein at least one post extends into the gap.
 22. The cable hanger defined in claim 21, wherein the at least one post extends into the gap from the base, the post extending generally in the same direction as the arms.
 23. The cable hanger defined in claim 21, wherein the at least one post is a plurality of posts. 